


Proposal at Cafe Hope

by TheonSugden



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M, Tumblr Prompts, alcohol mention, brief thought of violence, prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 18:25:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3259811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheonSugden/pseuds/TheonSugden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another prompt - On a charity dance night, Robert asks Aaron to marry him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Proposal at Cafe Hope

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt - "hi I was wondering if you could do a one shot where Roberts proposing to aaron or aaron proposing to Robert infront of everyone , thankyou and love your work btw Xxx"

Aaron hated dancing. 

He used the excuse of not liking the music, but the music was…musical enough. He’d heard worse. ’80s nights all blurred together, but he’d heard enough in clubs and pubs and cafes and his mam’s ear-busting stereo over the years to develop his own appreciation. 

Robert enjoyed dancing. Really, he just liked to show off. He was fit as fuck, he knew it, he needed everyone else to know it. 

And Aaron normally put up with this, cause he trusted Robert - if he didn’t trust Robert, he’d go mad, so he had to trust him - but tonight was pushing it.

Bob  _"See Victoria? I told you I could DJ! I to…"***scratch*** "sorry!"_  Hope had thrown the latest ’80s night function, proceeds going to the local fire department. Hotten kept ‘em busy enough…

Aaron hadn’t even wanted to go, preferring to spend the evening exploring the bottom of a few cans, or the shapely bottom of his boyfriend…probably both. 

It had been Nicola sneering, “Ashamed, are ya?” to change his mind. 

He and Robert were just barely roommates, just barely able to face that Aaron was the one bringing home most of the money while Robert looked for out of town work from some company Lawrence hadn’t blackballed him out of, and just barely able to show their face in public as a couple.

Aaron had always resented the way the people in his life babied him, but for once, he was grateful, as Robert’s general defensiveness and bad reputation would have made him a target for Chas or Cain and some type of blunt object by now if not for Aaron’s intervention.

Robert wasn’t that bad…he wasn’t sure why he was usually the only one who saw it, but things were getting better. They could all be in the same room without blood on the walls, for one.

So he had no real reason to be upset, as he, Cain, and James Barton stood on the sidelines most of the night, watching Moira and Robert dance their blues away. Chas was at home with a cold, which Aaron was secretly glad over, as he wouldn’t want her to see him with a face of thunder.

Moira was really good. She and John had told him once, about a hundred years ago, that when they were young they’d done dance contests to get enough money to scrape by. He wondered if on nights like this she closed her eyes and remembered him. If she saw the way Cain and James were glaring at her, she’d be better off closing her eyes…

He wasn’t jealous of Moira. She was a good lady. He knew she wasn’t going to start a torrid affair with Robert. And he knew…he had to know…Robert wouldn’t cheat on him. He had to trust Robert. Otherwise he’d go mad.

It was that he felt sick when he watched Robert so close to women. It wasn’t just seeing his boyfriend working up a sweat to “You’ll Never Stop Me Loving You” and “Keep Feeling Fascination” with his best mate’s mum that upset Aaron; it was how…comfortable Robert seemed with women. He was never that comfortable with Aaron. Not when other people could see them. Aaron didn’t want slow dances and fast kisses either. He knew he was as hands-off as Robert. It was…it was the fear in him every time they were out together. Like he was waiting for the wrong look or comment. And he was so afraid of being afraid that it never took long for him to snap old Edna Birch’s head off for staring a second too long.

He’d gotten better…really, he had. But he’d never be like this with Aaron. So free. Aaron wanted to trust him, knew he had to trust himself to trust Robert, or whatever the fuck those books said, but he was staring at what he’d never be, and he knew it.

"Right. I’m through with this," Cain suddenly muttered, storming over to Bob and flashing a few tenners before Aaron could say or do much of anything.

Bob’s smile looked a little maniacal in the garish disco-style cafe interior.

"Thanks to a generous donation from Sir Cain of Dingle, here is our next song. Dedicated to all past and present residents of Home Farm."

"Everybody Wants To Rule The World" began to fill the room, just as Robert’s face fell. 

Aaron didn’t know how to react, mostly distracting himself with Moira sticking her finger in a defiant Cain’s face, but his back was literally against the wall when Robert stormed over, his face boiling red. 

"You Dingle lot cook this up? Good laugh to have on me, right?"

Aaron’s back went up at Robert’s tone and all-around sneer. 

"I had nothin’ to do with this!"

He looked down at his shoes.

"Can’t say I’m cryin’ buckets over it though."

Robert laughed his lord of the manor laugh…a lord without a manor. Aaron hated when he did that. 

"Of course you aren’t. Now I’m firmly back in my place. Village outcast."

The undercurrent of hurt in those last words got to Aaron, but not enough.

"I’m the only reason you ain’t getting tomatoes thrown at you in the middle of the street, mate," he hissed. "Do I like seein’ you all over me best mate’s mum? No. But I didn’t say a thing."

Robert shot him a confused, annoyed glance. 

"We weren’t…all over each other, Aaron. We were  _dancing_. That involves some contact. Not that you’d know.”

Aaron could feel his nostrils flaring, adding to a general drumbeat in his head in time with that fucking “Tainted Love” he heard every time he went to a club.

"And what’s that supposed to mean?"

Robert sighed.

"Don’t get…"

Too late for that.

"Yeah, I don’t dance. I know on the packet instructions for gay blokes it says ‘good dancer,’ but I’m not. Sorry." 

Aaron knew he’d probably gone into pout mode, his face giving away his hurt feelings, no matter how tough he tried to be. 

Robert pulled Aaron into his arms, kissing his ear with words and lips.

"It’s not about whether you can dance. It’s just…letting go."

Aaron swallowed. He’d spent most of his life letting go. Robert made it sound so easy. He always made everything seem easy. And with him at Aaron’s side, it was easier, somehow. Even when Aaron wanted to clock him one.

"If I tried anything on with Moira Barton, she’d set her sheep loose on me and you’d be sleeping next to hoof prints."

Aaron snorted, in spite of his sullen resolve. Robert always knew how to talk him down.

"Let’s have some fun."

Aaron’s jaw dropped as Robert whispered the plan in his ear, but he’d had enough beer in him to not say no.

Robert “meekly” approached Bob, Aaron watching the conversation with his hands half-covering his eyes. Bob gave him a cheesy thumbs up as Robert approached, smugger than ever. 

"Last song of the night from one Bob to another…I hope you’re as happy with your Mister-to-Be as I am with my Mrs."

Aaron was sure he heard a gasp - he was pretty sure it was Pearl. He bit back a chuckle as Robert waved his hands to clear off the floor. 

"May I have this dance, Mr. Sugden?"

Aaron rolled his eyes, but took Robert’s hand, the palm clammier than he’d expected. He looked at Robert then, noticed the need behind the joviality.

"Watch it, Mr. Livesy," he retorted, playfulness in his voice.

Bob was playing “Through the Fire,” and it wasn’t really Aaron’s type of music, but it seemed right, somehow. Through the corner of his eye he could see his uncle making that angry bird face, and Moira looking pleased for him, and Nicola squawking with Bernice. He looked at Robert, saw that the smirk was long gone; Robert looked like he was about to throw up from nerves. Suddenly he wished his mum was there, and Paddy, and Adam, cause suddenly it didn’t seem like a joke. 

His head was spinning, so he rested it on Robert’s shoulder, letting Robert lead him.

"Gran sent me one of granddad’s old rings for my birthday," Robert whispered, haltingly, Aaron struggling to hear him over the music and his beating heart. "It doesn’t have to be a joke."

Aaron looked at him then, looked at him in a way he never had before.

"We don’t have to get married tomorrow, or next week, or even next year. I just want you to wear the ring…and know."

Aaron smiled, Robert’s beautiful, shy face blurred by the tears filling his eyes. 

"That proposal’s right shit, but…yeah. I will. I do."

Robert beamed, spinning Aaron around in his arms a few times, not caring who saw or what they might say.

"I do too!" he yelled, blushing from the awkwardness of everyone staring at him, readying their usual gossip reports.

Aaron shook his head, not wanting to laugh, stomach hurting at the effort before he finally gave in.

"You’re a huge fucking dork and you’re all mine," he whispered as he pulled Robert in for another kiss. 

And in that moment the world was theirs and theirs alone.


End file.
